Australian actress Magda Szubanski has revealed she is facing an incurable cancer relapse, sharing in a tearful interview that she may have only years left to live.
The 65-year-old comedian disclosed on Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes with host Tracy Grimshaw that her Mantle Cell Lymphoma is almost certain to return, leaving her with an estimated median survival time of eight-and-a-half years.
Speaking in her first interview since announcing her diagnosis last year, Szubanski broke down as she shared that she is dealing with what she calls an "incurable relapse in cancer."
"So, it's almost sure that it will come back. It's a question of 'when' and then 'how bad'," Szubanski told Grimshaw on Sunday.
Diagnosis and prognosis
Szubanski said that while she was "pitching for more" time, she recognizes she may be facing just eight years before the illness claims her life.
"The median survival rate is eight-and-a-half years. So, I could go less, or I could go more," she said.
The comedian described living with the constant awareness of the cancer as feeling like she has the "Sword of Damocles over her head."
"For those of us who, you know, it hangs by only a couple of strands, it's a very different feeling," she said. "It is just a different state of consciousness. It's a different awareness of death. It's not abstract."
Mantle Cell Lymphoma is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system and affects B-cell lymphocytes. The disease is known medically for recurring after initial treatment cycles.
Chemotherapy and early symptoms
Reflecting on her treatment process, the Babe actress described undergoing chemotherapy as being like a "multi-car pile-up."
"I'm not being a Pollyanna about this because I think that's not fair to people to do that," she said. "It was freaking hard, but when I say it was doable, it was. My results put me in good stead, but it can change."
Szubanski explained that she first realized something was wrong after suffering a period of unwellness accompanied by terrifying nightmares.
"I knew something was wrong. I just felt so unwell," she said. "It would wake me up in the middle of the night, literally wake up with a dream voice saying 'you're dying, you're dying'."
She added: "So, it was like, dude, there's something wrong here. You know, there's something really wrong."
Remission and public support
The diagnosis follows an update Szubanski shared in February, when she announced that her cancer had gone into remission after finishing chemotherapy.
"I've completed chemo and I am now in remission. Phew!" she said at the time. "It's not a cure, but if I've got a good remission, hopefully that will mean I'll be able to keep the cancer at bay for a good long time."
She also expressed gratitude to the public, adding: "And I also wanted to say a special, huge thank you to you for all the love and support that you've shown."
Szubanski is one of Australia's most recognized performers, widely celebrated for her starring role as Sharon Strzelecki in the comedy series Kath & Kim and her performance as Esme Hoggett in the 1995 film Babe.
The broadcast on 60 Minutes, Australia's long-running current affairs program on the Nine Network, featured Szubanski praising her healthcare team and the nation's medical system, calling it "one of the best in the world."
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't give profound thanks to the medical community... and also to the common sense of the Australian people that we see how practical and compassionate it is to have a really good medical system," she said.
